2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 packs twin-turbo, 1,064-hp V8
Nearly four years ago, Chevy wowed the enthusiast community with the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever put into a production car. In 2024, GM Performance is back with another first: a turbocharged Corvette ZR1 with more than 1,000 horsepower. If you thought the Z06 was the ultimate performance Corvette, well, think again. This ain’t your grandaddy’s ZR1.
Let’s dispense with the powertrain first. The 2025 ZR1 will be powered by GM’s new twin-turbo LT7 V8. This 5.5L engine shares its fundamental architecture with the Z06’s LT6. In this case, that means more than just a common displacement. The LT7 also inherits the LT6’s flat-plane crank — something Ford’s 5.2-liter “Voodoo” V8 lost in the transition from the naturally aspirated GT350 to the supercharged GT500. Not so here. The single-scroll 76 mm turbochargers feed enough air to the LT7 to produce 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque.
From there, power goes through the eight-speed dual clutch transmission, which gets beefier input shafts (inner and outer), stronger shot-peened gears, and improved oil management for high-G loads. All in, GM says this combo is good for a top speed of more than 215 mph and a quarter-mile run in under 10 seconds. There’s no official 0-to-60 time yet, but you can certainly expect it to be blisteringly quick, especially for a rear-wheel drive machine.
What changed between the LT6 and LT7?
Secondary port fuel injection
New head castings with redesigned ports and a larger combustion chamber
New valve train timing and lift profile optimized for boost
New piston/connecting rod design
Completely new intake system
Dual, ported shroud, ball bearing, mono-scroll (76 mm) turbochargers
“Intelligent” anti-lag engine calibration
Nothing goes hand-in-hand with high-performance Corvettes like aggressive air management. In this case, we’re referring to both cooling and aerodynamic upgrades. The new “flow-through” hood design ingests air through the grille, where it passes through the intercooler and exits through the hood. This improves both front downforce and charged air temperatures, GM says. The ZR1 offers a slicker exterior and a small spoiler with adjustable wickers.
The front splitter, underwing (with gurney deflectors) and rocker moldings are part of the standard aero package. ZTK adds the crazy rear wing, front dive planes and the hood gurney lip. Underneath, strakes replace the underwing stall gurney to improve downforce in the nose. The ZR1’s side blades each incorporate two air inlets (four total). One in each feeds a bank of the LT7 V8, while the other connects to a brake duct. There’s also a new extraction vent on each side of the ZR1’s rear deck to pull heat out of the engine compartment.
GM’s Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 is responsible for managing the ZR1’s chassis, which is matched up with 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels wrapped in Michelin performance tires (275/30ZR20 front; 345/25ZR21 rear). The standard package utilizes the Pilot Sport 4S, while ZTK models will ship with Pilot Sport Cup 2-Rs. The ZTK package also includes stiffer springs, but otherwise preserves the MRC 4.0 setup of the base ZR1. Dry weight checks in at 3,670 pounds for the coupe and 3,758 pounds for the convertible; all that carbon fiber pays dividends.
This is the last Corvette designed under the direction of legendary Corvette engineer Tadge Juechter, and from what we’ve seen so far, it’s a sendoff he can be proud of. The 2025 ZR1 will hit showrooms next year.
